by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

UNCASVILLE, Conn. - The date was on the tip of Roy Williams' tongue - the date his nightmare of an offseason began and all those negative headlines started.

June 5, 2013: The night North Carolina's leading scorer, P.J. Hairston, was arrested on charges of possessing marijuana and driving without a license, one of a series of transgressions that has led to an ongoing NCAA investigation about improper benefits that's kept him sidelined.

Instead of providing a reprieve, actual basketball only added to the headaches. A week ago, the Tar Heels suffered an embarrassing loss to unranked Belmont at home. They dropped in both polls and heard from plenty of doubters.

Sunday, Williams watched his young Tar Heels grow up in a big way, upsetting No. 2 Louisville 93-84 to win the Hall of Fame Tipoff tournament. Now they are no longer waiting for Hairston to come riding in on a white horse; they've taken their season into their own hands.

"There's no question it's satisfying to have some good things to think about," Williams said. "Since June 5, it's not been a very pleasant time. It's been probably the most difficult time I've ever had as a coach, but maybe that shows what a blessed life I've led, too. It's not been fun in every way, shape or form.

"But today out on the court, watching those kids, seeing their excitement, bumping around with them out there, going to celebrate in the locker room with them - that's what I coach for."

For some time now, the uncertainty surrounding Hairston's eligibility had hung over these Tar Heels. If they could just skate by without him, they thought, he could come back and shoulder the scoring load again. Senior Leslie McDonald also has been out with eligibility concerns.

Williams said Saturday it bothered him earlier this week that his players were looking over their shoulders, "wondering if the cavalry is going to come back."

"I told them, 'We've got to play with who we have right now,'" Williams said. "If the cavalry does show up, it might strengthen us. If they don't show up, we still have to play."

UNC finally seems to realize that. The current roster, with its strengths and despite its weaknesses, could very well be the one it will be forced to use all season.

Point guard Marcus Paige scored a career-high 26 points Saturday against Richmond. He bettered that with 32 against Louisville. Paige, sensational from the opening tip to the final seconds, has realized he needs to be the Heels' go-to guy.

"I'm trying to stay in attack mode the entire time," Paige said. "It makes our team harder to guard. It frees up our big guys to have a little more space to operate. I'm one of the leaders of this team. I just feel the need to provide some outside scoring."

He'll get help on the perimeter from freshman guard Nate Britt, who put up a career-high nine points on Sunday and also helped Paige break Louisville's press easily and often.

Sophomore forward Brice Johnson and freshman forward Kennedy Meeks stepped up down low Sunday. Johnson has been one of UNC's most important contributors all season - and should end up in the starting lineup sooner rather than later - while Meeks rebounded from a dreadful outing against Richmond to score 13 points, grab 12 boards and add seven assists. Perhaps most impressive were his outlet passes, which helped beat Louisville in transition repeatedly.

One player still figuring out his role is James Michael McAdoo. McAdoo was nearly invisible, scoring nine points in each game and collecting only seven rebounds total in the two games. He'd entered the weekend averaging 19.7 and 8.7.

Williams said part of the problem is he doesn't have enough wing players so he's had to have McAdoo play the three "quite a bit." Judging by Sunday's performance, he doesn't seem comfortable or aggressive at the three.

"In the early stages, everyone is trying to figure out what they do well," Paige said. "Teams that aren't very experienced, like us, are trying to find guys in certain roles. It's tough at first, especially when your lineup has been as questionable as ours has early in the season. â?¦ This shows when the pieces are working together and we have the effort that Coach always preaches, we can really be an elite team."

If the Tar Heels play like they did Sunday, they surely can. But only if they embrace this roster, instead of looking over their shoulders for the "cavalry" that may never come.

Nicole Auerbach, a national college basketball reporter for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @NicoleAuerbach.